Wicca a Religion of Clergy?

Just started to read Starhawk's The Spiral Dance. What I don't get is this:

Quote from: Starhawk 1999, p.38
"Every initiate is considered a priestess or priest; Witchcraft is a religion of clergy."

I guess you can practice witchcraft without being a priest/ess, so she's aparently speaking only about Wicca. But why is it a religion of clergy? Why are the initiates priests/esses?

Aren't they all equal anyway, except for the high priest and high priestess?

Or is it a matter of everyone being basically able to lead a ritual? But isn't priest/ess about intermediate-ship, wouldn't it become obsolete once you have a group where everybody is a priest/ess? Or is it to stress the difference to the non-initiates?

I guess I'm somewhat predisposed through my Catholic upbringing, please explain me what I don't get.

• Message Board: Join in our discussion

House Spirits?!?

I have a newly forming pet theory regarding house spirits; being that they may not soley be tied to the place but often to family from domicile to domicile and generation to generation. Now I have considered this may be a modern phenomena (after all we have recently spoken of deity moving with the times, why not elementals and fae?), however I distinctly remember a story in W. Jenkyn Thomas' Welsh Fairy book of a brownie that liked the family so much it moved with the family. This of course peaked my interest.

So I am sending out a plea, to aid me in my task, does anybody else know of stories/mythology/fairy tales of house spirits/lare/wights/ who are tied to families rather than places?

• Message Board: Join in our discussion

What to Do for Ostara?

I've been browsing the Internet (bad idea, if I do say so myself) and looking for information on Ostara. In my walk, I celebrate the 8 sabbats most typically celebrated by Wiccans (I am not Wiccan myself, it's just what feels right to me.) Sadly, a lot of the stuff I find on Ostara is for fluff bunnies. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas of what to do for Ostara?

• Message Board: Join in our discussion

Oak and Beech, stones to go with?

I was wondering what stones are good and complimentary to the Beech and Oak Tree?

Basic and simple quest. I know...weird huh?

• Message Board: Join in our discussion

Gods in Movies and Books?

(This is mostly aimed at Greek Recons seeing as their gods are the most famous.) How do you feel react when your gods are represented in fiction and in movies, like Disney's Hercules? Do you consider some of the ways they portray them disrespectful? Or do you feel that it doesn't matter as long as they didn't mean anything by it (because most people have no clue that people still worship the Greek gods)? How do you think specific gods might react to being represented like that?

• Message Board: Join in our discussion

Don't have an altar?

We see a lot of threads here related to what folks have on their altars, and why. I am curious as to how many of you don't have an altar, and why that might be. Back when I was semi-Pagan, I had an altar for awhile, but dismantled it after my husband refused to treat it respectfully (e.g. constantly setting his empty soda can next to the athame). I don't have an altar now (despite having a cool nook built in the wall that would be perfect) because I don't know it would really be appropriate now that I'm studying Judaism. Even synagogues don't have altars, and the connotations with animal sacrifice and the second temple make me leery of introducing it into my home.

So, who doesn't have an altar, and why?

• Message Board: Join in our discussion

Deities Requesting Specific Foods or Drink

In mosey-ing around here, I have found it not very uncommon for people to mention a certain deity they work with asking for a certain type of food or drink for offering (this was inspired in particular by Jennett's mention of Artemis wanting baklava in the "Practicing Basics" thread).

My question then is why would a deity ask for a food such as this? What do they plan to do with it? Not being in the physical plane, I imagine they could just conjure up the taste or smell if it was something they liked. Why do they request for a worshiper to provide it?

Do you find certain gods or goddesses have a sweet tooth or other strange cravings? lol. And finally, does it appear that they ask for foods or drinks that might be similar to the tastes or preferences of the lands from which they originated (the land they were originally worshipped)? If you had a god or goddess ask for something particularly unusual, please share!

• Message Board: Join in our discussion

Pagan Fiction?

I was just wondering what fiction books you've discovered that are either Pagan-themed or have some Pagan elements to them. They seem (to me, at least) to be few and far between. So I'm curious to see what anyone else has found.

My personal favorites are:

"The Wild Wood" and "Greenmantle" by Charles de Lint

"The China Garden" by Liz Berry

and the "Circle of Three" series I read when I was in high school, by Isobel Bird.

• Message Board: Join in our discussion

Incense Burning in Different Traditions?

I like to burn various incense because I love the smell and feel that it creates a positive atmosphere, but I wonder how it is used in different traditions and why.

I've read somewhere that smoke cleanses the room of spirits and somewhere else that you can offer incense to spirits or gods.

Which traditions/religions do use incense and why?

Why and how are you using incense and does it relate to a specific tradition?

• Message Board: Join in our discussion

Mensa Pagan SIG?

I let my Mensa membership lapse years ago but I've been hearing interesting things about the Mensa pagan SIG.

Anyone belong and able to share more details? Is it worth the cost of the membership dues?

• Message Board: Join in our discussion